Burgers, at least on the surface, would seem to have reached a saturation point, what with all the fast-food outlets, casual chains, independents and even fine-dining restaurants looking to capitalize on a beloved American classic.

Not so, says Dave Prokupek, chief executive of Smashburger, the Denver-based chain that in 2007 joined the not-so-exclusive “better burger” club and now has more than 200 restaurants in 29 states and four foreign countries. San Diego County has 11 outlets, the most recent opening this month in San Marcos.

While Prokupek’s background is in the technology field, he was a savvy enough businessman to know that his partners in the culinary world had tapped into a niche that still had plenty of room for innovation. In this case, smashing, searing and seasoning the beef patties on the grill, he learned, was the key to a tastier burger that was still affordable.

In San Diego recently for the opening of the San Marcos restaurant, Prokupek took some time to talk about Smashburger’s growth and the key ingredients of its appeal among burger aficionados.

Smashburger has 11 locations in San Diego County, the most recent addition in San Marcos.
— Charlie Neuman

Smashburger has 11 locations in San Diego County, the most recent addition in San Marcos.
— Charlie Neuman

Q: The better burger concept has exploded in recent years, so how can Smashburger differentiate itself from all the other appealing burger chains and independents?

A: It starts with the food. We have great burgers made fresh to order, and on top of that, we localize our menu in every market we go into. That’s with our burgers and chicken and craft beers we pair with each burger. We also have a big line of salads and veggie burgers ﻿so we have something for everyone.

With our new design, you can order at the counter and have food delivered at your table in a wire basket with a real knife and fork. You’re getting a $20 experience for $8 to $10, so lots of people can afford Smashburger everyday.

We also think the smashing makes a better burger. We take an Angus burger ball and smash it on a very hot grill with a special smashing tool. It caramelizes the outside, and inside it’s very juicy. In early June, we’ll roll out a partnership with (Escondido-based) Stone Brewing Co. We’re looking at ways to pair specific burgers with specific Stone beers. We’re doing this now in 20 markets, so we’re one of the first to do this on a national level with a fast-casual concept.

Q: Your professional background isn’t exactly in food. In fact, your last position was in the technology field. Why join a restaurant chain?

A: I started two or three businesses and in my investment world, I’ve focused on consumer brands. I teamed up with Tom Ryan, out of McDonald’s, for two reasons. Burgers are America’s favorite food category, and when we started no one was doing this better burger concept in a fast-casual way as part of a national brand. On the burger side, some point to Five Guys and ourselves, but it’s difficult to name others on a national scale. The food business is the ultimate people business. What Starbucks has done to coffee, I feel we’re doing with burgers, and it’s an exciting brand to be with. Tom has the food science and marketing background. I really brought the business side of how to build a team and turn it into a big business.

Q: Why so much interest in expanding in San Diego? It already has a few popular homegrown burger concepts.

A: Our goal is to be the number one player across the U.S., and to do that you have to be a player in California. While you have In-N-Out and others, we fit solidly in a different category. We have 11 now in San Diego and hope to double that over the next three to five years.

In the U.S., we’re 50-50 corporate-owned and franchisees, and San Diego is a franchise market for us. There are two franchise groups in San Diego and that’s how we’re growing.

Q: You’re starting up locations in airports now. What made you decide to go in that direction?

A: Airports are good brand-building opportunities for Smashburger. We’re about to open in Costa Rica (the international airport), and we just won Dallas-Fort Worth and Philadelphia. People all over the world see the brand, and airport locations tend to be high volume.

Q: What are Smashburger’s plans for the future?

A: We’ve been growing pretty fast. We’ll add another 50 or 60 restaurants this year around the world. We’ll probably do the same in 2014. California is a big push, and the other big push is international, so we’re expanding in Canada, the Middle East and Latin America. We’re in five markets outside the U.S., with 10 to 15 stores in foreign locations. We just signed a new group in Panama, and we’re trying to grow in Latin and Central America, Europe and the Middle East. And the airport business is becoming a good business for us. We’re also spending a lot of time on food trends in terms of new flavors and drinks.

This year we just introduced a truffle mushroom Swiss burger. It’s very appealing to women, health-conscious people. It’s something four or five years ago we wouldn’t have thought of doing. Those touches are noticed by consumers.